Railway-car signal.



J. E. JOHNSON.

RAILWAY CAR SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7. 1913.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

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John E. fihnson- ,7. 1' W ATTOR J. E. JOHNSON.

RAILWAY GAR SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7.1913.

1,1520%. Patented Aug. 31,1915.

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WITNESSES INVENTOK.

John E. Johnson.

UNITED STATES PArENroF-mon JOHN E. JoHNsoN, or A DERsoN, 1 nIaN fl RAILWAY-CAR SIGNAL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it, known that I, JOHN E. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Anderson, county of Madison, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Railway-Car Signal; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which like-letters refer to like parts. a a

The objectof this invention is to provide in a locomotive or railway car suitable means actuated by means on the railway for operat-, ing a plurality of signals in the locomotive or car. Thus in the cab of the engineer or motorman red, white and green lamps may be located which are electrically connected with apparatus adapted to be actuated by means on a railway for calling into operation any one of saidlamps, as desired, and thus bring the signal directly in front of the engineer or motorman.

The chief feature of the invention consists in providinga plurality of downwardlyextending arms from the construction mounted on the engine or car sothat any one of said arms may be actuated by means on the railway, and providing means actuated by said arms for closing the desired circuit and forcibly opening the switches of the other circuits. In connection with the foregoing there is spring controlled means for returning said arm to itsnormal position and likewise themeans for operating said switches, but which will leave the actuated switch in its closed position so that it must bereturned to open position when another switch is closed. Therefore, there is a switch for each signal and means for simultaneously closing one; switch and opening the others or any other which had been closed. g Along with the foregoing is the further provision of means for operating the air brake system of the car when the danger signal is'operated. I 1

The full nature of the invention. will be understood from the; accompanying drawings and the following description and claims,-

In thedrawings, Figure '1 is a side elevation of a locomotive equipped with my invention. Fig. 2 isa vertical section through the signal; controlled mechanism near one side thereof and in idle position. Fig. 3 is the same with the. parts in actuated position.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 31 1915. Application filed June 7, 1913. Serial N 0. 772,260. I

Fig. 4 is a section on the line of Fig. 2.

F 5 is a'section on theline 5 5 of Fig. 2. F 1g. 6 is, an elevationof the portion of the lever mechanism for operating the red lamp signal, viewed from the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings there is a railway 10 and locomotive 11, the latter being equipped with this invention, although the invention is not limited to use in connection withlocomotives, but may be used in carsor anything else that travels on a railway. The invention is also to be used in connection with an actuating devicelocated on or near the railway which, however, is not here shown.

As shown herein the invention iscontemplated to operate three signal lamps 12, one of which may be white, another red andanother green. I These lamps are located in the locomotivefcab and are to indicate to the engineer the various conditions'of the track according to the color of the signal. They are connected with electrical circuits posed of wires 13 and 14, each lamp having a separate circuit or wire, dotted linesin Fig. 1.- These circuit wires run to a signal controlling box 15 which is secured to the side ofvtlelocomotive just abo e the railway, asshown in Fig. 1. f

Within the'boX-l5 there is a transversely mounted fulcrum rod 16 on which three arms 17,18 and 19 .are pivotally mounted side by side,'but spaced' apart substantially as shown in -Fig. 4. Each arm projects through an opening 20 in the underside of the. box; 15, as shown in Fig. 2, and down rather close to the railway in position to be engaged by a suitable device mounted in the track and which isnothere shown. The plan of using the device contemplates the provision of a differentlyadjustedtrack device for operating each'of the three arms 1?, l8 and 19 and moving the same in the direction ofthe; arrow in Fig. 3. On said rod '16 there are three bell crank levers 4c0iloosely mounta ed, one lever secured to each arm 17, l8'and 19;, and pivoted to link bars 21, respectively, and said link bars are pivoted, respectively, tothree bell cranklevers 22 fulcrumed on a rod 23. The bell crank levers 22 carry on theif upper ends rods 24, 25 and 26, respective. Oii each'link bar21 thereis a roller 27 or projection; of some kind in position to enas indicated by gage a corresponding switch bar 30, pivoted I nectedfwith, the conductor 13, and move said switch 30 to a closing position so that the upper end thereof will move between a magnet 32 and a spring 132 on a bracket 33. Said magnet 32 is connected with the conductor 14. There is one of these switch'bars 30 for each arm 17 18 and 19 and for each of the three link bars 21."

The function of the rods 24,25 and 26 is to return or move the switch which has been closed back to the open position, that is, between the magnet 34 and spring 134 on a bracket 35. There are always two of the switch levers 30 in the open position and one of the switches is always closed. Therefore, for each switch bar-30 there is an arm 17, 18 or 19, a bell crank lever 40, a link 21 with a projection27 thereon, a bell crank lever 22 and one of the rods 24, 25 or 26. When an arm 17, 18 or 19 is actuated to the righthand' position shown in Fig. 3, the projection 27 on the link 21 actuates one of the switch bars 30, as shownin Fig.3, and at the same time the'bell crank lever 22 connected with said link bar-21 and its rod 24 is moved in a direction opposite to the movement of the link bar 21 andprojection 27 so that said rod 24 will move the previously closed switch bar 30 to the open position against the magnet 34. If the middle arm 18 were actuated, it would move the middle switch bar 30 to the closing position andthe previously closed switch bar to open position. Likewise'if the arm 19 were actuated, it would move the remote switch bar 30 to the closing position and the'previou'sly closed switch bar to open position.

The forms of the rods 24, 25and 26 whereby the above result is accomplished appears in Fig." 4. I Thus it is seen that rod 24 has an arm-"124radiating from the fulcrum rod 23, and on the upper end ofsaid' arm there is a laterally extending arm 224 and then there 1 is a section 324extending forwardly for carrying the rod 24 andsaid section 324 is to the left of the switch bar 30 which the link bar 21 and the arm 17 are arranged to actuate to closing position. Therefore, the bar 24 is to the left of saidswitch bar 30 and not'in position to interferewith its actuation, and it is in position to move the other-two switch bars'30 to the open-position. The construction and arrangement of the rod 26 at the other end of the device is similar to what has just been described and permits a closing movement of the left hand switchbar 30 shown in, Fig. 4, but moves the other-two switch bars'toopen positions. The intermediate "rod 25 has a central U- shaped portion 125 radiating from the fulcrum rod 23 so as to leave between the two' arms 125 a space for the intermediate switch bar '30 so that said-intermediate switch bar can bemoved to the closing position by the projection 27 on the link-bar 21,*while the two laterally extending rods 25 will engage the right hand and the left hand switch bars 30 and move them to open position. Thus if the arm 17 has been operated by means in the track adjusted by the operator in a signal station along the railway, it will cause a red light to be shown in the engineers cab.

If it is desired that the train proceed slowly, the operator in the signal station adjusts the means in the railway for striking arm 18 and then the proper switch bar 30 would be thrown to the closing position and the green light show in the engineers cab and the preceding closed switch will be thrown back to open position. If, on the other hand, the track is clear, the operator in the signal sta tion will adjust the means on the railway for engaging arm 19 which will cause a White light in the engineers cab and the previously closed switch bar will be moved to open position. If desired, the means on the track can be connected with the switch so as to be adjusted when the switch is open to engage the arm 17 and throw on the red light of danger. In other words, the means on the track for operating these arms may be operated or adjusted in any desired way.

The arms 17, 18 and 19 are returned to vertical or normal positions, and also the other parts of the device, by a spring 41 in a tube 42 acting on a piston 43 on a piston rod 44 which is connected with one end of a bell crank lever 40. There is a spring construction'for each arm 17, 18 and 19. There is a spring 45 which surrounds the piston rod in the tube 42 and acts somewhat in opposition to the spring 41 so that the spring 41will not too greatly resist the actuation of the arms 17, 18 and 19. Each tube 42 is pivoted on a rod 143 secured in the box 15 so that said spring mechanism oscillates somewhat during the operation. These spring constructions serve also as shock absorbers in order to prevent a blow on one of the arms 17, 18 and 19 acting with too much power in operating any of the parts, whereby the parts would be injured. 7

There is also an air brake valve '50 in piping 51 of the air brake system on the car or train which is'operated when the arm 17 is thrown so as to automatically stop the car.- Said valve is operated by means of a crank 52 having a wrist pin which projects through a longitudinal slot in a bar 53 and the bar 53 is pivoted at 54 to ashort bar55' which is pivoted by a clevis 56 to'th'e bell crank lever 40 for the red lightarm' 17. Therefore, when the red light arm-is 21c. tuated by the danger device in the railway, the valve 50 will be operated, as shown in Fig. 3, and the train or car automatically stopped. The air brake valve is released by a bar 57 extending out of the box 15through an opening 58, said bar 57 being operated byhand or by means not shown.

vice for closing one switch and holding the other switches open.

2. Signal apparatus for cars and the like including a plurality of signals, an arm for each signal in position to be actuated by a track device, and means actuated by each arm for operating its corresponding signal and preventing the operation of the previously operated signal.

3. Signal appar, tus for cars and the like including a plurality of signals, an arm for each signal in position to be actuated bya track device, a lever for retracking the previously actuated signal, and a bar connecting said lever and arm for operating a signal when thevarm is actuated.

4.-Signal apparatus for cars and the like including a plurality of electric lamp signals, a circuit for each signal, a switch for each circuit, an arm for each switch in position to be actuated by a track device, and

means actuated by each arm for closing its corresponding switch and at the same time for opening any previously closed switch.

5. Signal apparatus for cars and the like including a plurality of electric lamp signals, a circuit for each signal, a switch for each circuit, an arm for each switch in position to be actuated by a track device, a lever for opening any previously closed switch, and a link bar connecting said lever with said .arm and provided with means for closing a switch when said arm is actuated.

6. Signal apparatus for cars and the like including a plurality of electric lamp signals, a circuit for each signal, a switch for each circuit, an arm for each switch in position to be actuated by a track device, a lever for each switch, a link connecting each lever with its corresponding arm and provided with means for closing the corresponding switch, and a rod connected with each lever and formed so as to permit the closing of the switch corresponding with such lever and arm and opening any other previously closed switch.

7. Signal apparatus for cars and the like including three electric lamp signals, a circuit for each signal, a switch for each circuit, a pivoted arm foreach signal positioned so as to be actuated by a track device, a lever for each switch, a connecting bar from each lever to its corresponding arm, a roller on each connecting bar for operating its corresponding switch, and a rod on each lever curved so as to permit the closing of its corresponding switch and to open and hold open all of the other switches' 8. Signal apparatus for cars and the like including a plurality of signals, an arm for each signal in position to be actuated by a track device, a lever for preventing the operation of the previously actuated signal, a bar connecting said lever and arm for operating a signal when the arm is actuated, and means connected with each arm for serving as a shock absorber and returning the arm and connecting means to normal position.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of the witnesses herein named.

JOHN E. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

J I-I. WELLS, O. M. MCLAUGHLIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

